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Best way to create an XML document

• From: "Mukul Gandhi" <gandhi.mukul@g...>
• To: xml-dev@l...
• Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 19:29:36 +0530

Hi all,
   Let's suppose I need to create an XML document from scratch in a
Java program.

What's the best way to do this?

I have seen that a quick way to do this is preparing a XML string by hand.

For e.g.,

String xml_str = "<x><y><z/></y></x>";

I want to understand the pros and cons of this approach.

I most of the time prefer using an API like DOM to create an in-memory
representation, and then serializing the tree to String.

Following are my arguments in favor of using the DOM approach:

1) Creating a XML string by hand can become cumbersome, if XML is
huge. Maintaining the correct parent child relationship for a huge
document can be difficult, if done by hand (imagine a document of size
50 MB). This would lead to difficult debugging. Using a DOM API can do
this inherently in memory.

2) It's difficult to remember correct XML name conventions if done by hand.

for e.g., <9abc> is an invalid XML name (because it starts with a number).

There are more rules for XML names.

Using DOM API does this automatically.

3) Using DOM API can check well-formedness of entities (like, &abc;
etc). Doing this by hand in a string can become difficult.

I would appreciate thoughts about this subject from list members.

-- 
Regards,
Mukul Gandhi

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: Best way to create an XML document
    • From: COUTHURES Alain <alain.couthures@a...>
  • RE: Best way to create an XML document
    • From: "Michael Kay" <mike@s...>
  • Re: Best way to create an XML document
    • From: "Martin Gallagher" <speeple@g...>